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The challenges of regional diplomacy, the Council of Albanian Ambassadors celebrates its 5th anniversary

2023-05-06 23:02:27, Aktualitet CNA

The challenges of regional diplomacy, the Council of Albanian Ambassadors

In Tirana, the Council of Albanian Ambassadors is celebrating its 5th anniversary. This organization has joined its membership several dozen former ambassadors of Albania and Kosovo, diplomats and former foreign ministers. The President of the Council of Albanian Ambassadors, former minister Besnik Mustafaj, emphasizes that the common goal of this wide group of experts is to support European integration for Albania and Kosovo. Mr. Mustafaj emphasized that these days, at their invitation, a delegation of the Council of American Ambassadors is expected to visit the region, with a series of meetings in Tirana, Pristina and Skopje.

Voice of America: Mr. Mustafaj! These days you celebrate the 5th anniversary of the establishment of the Council of Albanian Ambassadors, an organization that unites many Albanian diplomats from Albania and Kosovo. What will you highlight and aim to be your first thoughts on this anniversary of your organization?

Besnik Mustafaj:We are an organization of former ambassadors, former foreign ministers and high level diplomats. To be honest, I didn't think 5 years ago when this organization was founded, that today we would have such a rich balance sheet. We are withdrawn people and out of genuine diplomatic activity. We don't work for the state, none of us. My first thought is satisfaction with the high results that have been achieved. For 5 years we have been a completely voluntary organization. We are not financed by Albanian public money, nor by international organizations, nor by the European Union. We are an entirely voluntary organization and have a very rich balance sheet. If you see our annual report, it's a rich balance sheet over 60 or 70 pages. I believe that we have managed to mobilize our energies,

First, I want to highlight the structure and platform of the organization: We are the only bipartisan organization; we have in the bosom of the organization former diplomats of all socialist and democratic levels, and we have no hesitation in our relations, because we have found our common goal; to serve the national foreign policy, the Euro-Atlantic integration, the strengthening of friendly international ties of Albania and Kosovo. We have found and adopted a common platform beyond the left and right policies that governments follow. This is no small success in the conditions of a politically polarized society such as Albania. Another point of great importance is establishing contacts with counterpart organizations. We have had the Council of American Ambassadors as a mentor, and we have an agreement with them, as well as we have participated in their activities and have a constant exchange of letters. They spread our statements and positions through their communication networks. For all these reasons, we feel proud in this five-year anniversary for the commitment and the fruits of our work.

Voice of America: Mr. Mustafaj! You just mentioned a rich balance of your work. What will you single out from the activity of the Council of Albanian Ambassadors?

Besnik Mustafaj:We have had and have two major objectives: the European integration of Albania and Kosovo. We have made criticisms, which have been in the same philosophy, that the European Union has made about the level of democracy in Albania, about the level of reforms and many other aspects, which have become an obstacle for the pace of Albania's integration into the European Union. At the same time, we have strongly supported all the efforts of the government of the Republic of Kosovo for an international affirmation, for international recognition, for the integration of Kosovo in various organizations such as the Council of Europe, UNESCO, and other organizations, where the Republic of Kosovo has applied, such as and dialogue with Serbia, as the necessary way to normalize relations and lead to mutual recognition between the two countries. In this type of framework, we have constantly paid attention to the problems faced by Albanians in the Balkans. I am only mentioning our last report. We, as the Council of Albanian Ambassadors, organized a familiarization trip, and were in Bujanovc, Medvegja and Presheva. We have made a report on this in the last few days and distributed it to the American Congress, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the European Union. We distributed this on Wednesday and within two days, on Friday, our report with the problems we found on the ground was included in the publications of the OSCE office in Serbia. Our commitment to the fate of Albanians in their lands, even outside Albania and outside Kosovo, is serious and is taken seriously by international organizations. We, as the Council of Albanian Ambassadors, organized a familiarization trip, and were in Bujanovc, Medvegja and Presheva. We have made a report on this in the last few days and distributed it to the American Congress, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the European Union. We distributed this on Wednesday and within two days, on Friday, our report with the problems we found on the ground was included in the publications of the OSCE office in Serbia. Our commitment to the fate of Albanians in their lands, even outside Albania and outside Kosovo, is serious and is taken seriously by international organizations. We, as the Council of Albanian Ambassadors, organized a familiarization trip, and were in Bujanovc, Medvegja and Presheva. We have made a report on this in the last few days and distributed it to the American Congress, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the European Union. We distributed this on Wednesday and within two days, on Friday, our report with the problems we found on the ground was included in the publications of the OSCE office in Serbia. Our commitment to the fate of Albanians in their lands, even outside Albania and outside Kosovo, is serious and is taken seriously by international organizations. on Friday, our report with the problems we found on the ground was included in the publications of the OSCE office in Serbia. Our commitment to the fate of Albanians in their lands, even outside Albania and outside Kosovo, is serious and is taken seriously by international organizations. on Friday, our report with the problems we found on the ground was included in the publications of the OSCE office in Serbia. Our commitment to the fate of Albanians in their lands, even outside Albania and outside Kosovo, is serious and is taken seriously by international organizations.

Voice of America: Mr. Mustafaj! Your organization has a large number of diplomats, former ministers, ambassadors. Have you had cooperation, or invitations for cooperation from public and non-public institutions of Albania to provide your assistance in such a challenging field as diplomacy in the Balkan region?

Besnik Mustafaj:We are an organization of top level experts. All former ambassadors, who are members of our organization, as well as former ministers, are professionals of the highest levels, who have worked and built their careers and expertise in the processes of integration of Albania and Kosovo into NATO and in the European City Hall. This is a very valuable bank of experience and expertise, which we voluntarily put at the service of the national foreign policy of Albania and Kosovo. In Kosovo they listen to us more, but in Albania zero. I, as the president of the Council of Ambassadors, went to the office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Albania, I wrote a letter to the Prime Minister of Albania, as well as to the presidents one after the other, to express precisely this positive will that we have to put our expertise at the service of the state's interests, without becoming an appendage of the state. We are an independent organization that does not receive orders or funding from the government, but we have the same common goal with the government and the opposition. I have gone to the office, on behalf of the Council of Albanian Ambassadors, both to Mr. Meta as president, and to the current president to express this readiness. So far we have not had any offer from the state. Our statements, our analyzes have been widely published in the Albanian and international media. I have gone to the office, on behalf of the Council of Albanian Ambassadors, both to Mr. Meta as president, and to the current president to express this readiness. So far we have not had any offer from the state. Our statements, our analyzes have been widely published in the Albanian and international media. I have gone to the office, on behalf of the Council of Albanian Ambassadors, both to Mr. Meta as president, and to the current president to express this readiness. So far we have not had any offer from the state. Our statements, our analyzes have been widely published in the Albanian and international media.

Zëri i Amerikës: Organizata të ngjashme me tuajën në vendet e demokracisë perëndimore kanë bashkëpunim profesional me shtetet e tyre. Pse nuk ndodh kjo edhe në Shqipëri?

Besnik Mustafaj: Po pse të mos vijë kjo përvojë edhe këtu?! Është një këngë franceze që thotë: Unë të dua/ Unë ty jo. Nuk e ndjejnë nevojën, nuk e ndjejnë. Nuk di çfarë të them më tepër. Ne nuk u bëjmë ndonjë gjyq dhe nuk kemi ndonjë ankesë, se nuk po na prishet karriera. Ne jemi njerëz që e kemi mbyllur karrierën zyrtare, por kemi në organizatën tonë njerëz me vullnet të mirë dhe plot me energji për të dhënë ndihmesë. Ish ambasadorët Spiro Koçi, Genci Muçaj, Flamur Gashi, për shembull, dhe të tjerë harxhojnë shumë orë vullnetarisht për ta bërë të dobishme ekspertizën e gjithë Këshillit të Ambasadorëve për politikën e jashtme kombëtare.

Zëri i Amerikës: Zoti Mustafaj! Thatë pak më lart se nga Kosova keni më shumë ftesa për bashkëpunim në fushën e diplomacisë, konsultim profesional të ekspertizës. A mund të shpjegoni diçka më shumë konkretisht?

Besnik Mustafaj: Ne jemi diplomatë dhe dihet se ka bashkëpunime publike dhe bashkëpunime konfidenciale. Mirëkuptim kemi gjetur në Prishtinë me kryeministrin, me presidenten, me ministren e jashtme, me parlamentin e Kosovës. Ne gjejmë tek institucionet e Kosovës një gatishmëri më të madhe për të përfituar nga ekspertiza e ambasadorëve shqiptarë.

Zëri i Amerikës: Zoti Mustafaj! Këto ditë e viziton rajonin me ftesën tuaj një delegacion nga Këshilli Amerikan i Ambasadorëve, pjesëtarë të të cilit janë 17 ish ambasadorë. Ç’mund të na thoni mbi këtë vizitë, si mikpritës dhe organizatorë të saj? Cili është qëllimi i kësaj vizite?

Besnik Mustafaj: Ne jemi një organizatë partnere me Këshillin e Ambasadorëve Amerikanë. Ata janë miqtë, që na kanë themeluar qysh nga themelimi. Ata vijnë në një udhëtim studimor në rajon për çështjen shqiptare, në mënyrë të përqëndruar. Në Tiranë do të kenë takime me Presidentin e Republikës, me politikanë të opozitës, si dhe me një përfaqësi të shqiptarëve të Malit të Zi. Ata do të marrin pjesë në festën tonë të 5 vjetorit mbrëmjen e të hënës, pastaj do të shkojnë në Kosovë ku do të takohen me gjithë autoritetet kryesore, me partitë politike të opozitës, si dhe me një përfaqësi të Luginës nga Presheva, Medvegja dhe Bujanoci. Po ashtu vizita e tyre vazhdon në Shkup me një seri takimesh me autoritetet e Maqedonisë së Veriut. Kudo do të kenë konsultime të gjata dhe me siguri në fund do të prodhojnë një raport. Agjenda është shumë e ngjeshur dhe u përgatit bazuar në kërkesat e kolegëve tanë nga Uashingtoni. Ata vijnë për t’i ndikuar pozitivisht çështjet shqiptare; qoftë ato të demokracisë në Shqipëri, qoftë ato që janë shumë më komplekse në Kosovë, që kanë të bëjnë me dialogun dhe me reformat e brendshme që ka përpara Kosova për t’u anëtarësuar në Këshillin e Europës dhe për të ecur në perspektivën europiane të saj. Edhe kjo është një ndihmë dhe mbështetje, që i vjen falas kombit shqiptar. Edhe ata janë vullnetarë, dhe ne u jemi mirënjohës./ VOA